Afghanistan’s women cricketers on Thursday played their first game since fleeing the Taliban three years ago, a charity match in Australia that captain Nahida Sapan hoped would spark “a movement for change”.
Hundreds of women athletes fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took over in August 2021, escaping a hardline stance that essentially banned women’s sport and education.
Most of the national women’s cricket side settled as refugees in Australia, where they reunited for the first time on Thursday to play a charity match in Melbourne.
“Together, we’re building not just a team, we’re building a movement for change and promise,” Sapan said in the run-up to the game.
“We have big hopes for this match because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and in the future.”
The Afghanistan Cricket Board made a significant stride in November 2020 when it handed 25 promising women cricketers professional contracts.
But before the fledgling squad had a chance to play together, the Taliban captured capital Kabul and declared an end to women’s cricket.
“We have sacrificed a lot to be here today,” said cricketer Firooza Amiri after the match.
“The situation in Afghanistan is very terrible. Women don’t have their rights.
“I can live freely in Australia and live my life the way I want.
“But back home in Afghanistan… I can only say it is very heartbreaking and very hard to live in that situation.”
“Especially for opening the school doors, opening up work for women.”
Of the 25 women once contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, 22 are now settled in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Canberra.
Some of these players have lobbied the governing International Cricket Council in the hopes of forming a refugee team with some kind of official status.
“A profound sadness remains that we, as women, cannot represent our country like the male cricketers,” some players wrote in a joint letter last year.
“The creation of this team will allow all Afghan women who want to represent their country to come together under one banner.”
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